The 35th Infantry Regiment Association salutes our fallen brother, 1LT Aymeric Bondorff, who died in the service of his country on March 31st, 1945 in Luzon, The Phillippines. The cause of death was listed as MIA. At the time of his death Aymeric was 24 years of age. He was from Plattsburgh, New York.
The decorations earned by 1LT Aymeric Bondorff include: the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
Aymeric remains were not recovered and he is listed on The Tablets of The Missing, Manila.
Armoric came to America with his family as a baby from Denmark. He was a naturalized citizen.
"Shortly after dusk on the 30th, a large Japanese force attacked C Company from all sides. The attack continued fiercely throughout the night. At dawn the company began to withdraw to the bulldozer road, and immediately came under attack by about one hundred fifty Japs in three groups. A Company moved out from the Battalion perimeter around the 64th Field Artillery Battalion's position to go to their aid. But the Japs had thrown three separate road blocks across the approaches to the Roller Coaster Road and no connection could be made. Battalion Headquarters Company, "Smoot's Galoot's" (The Company of Guerillas attached to the regiment, and commanded by Captain Robert Smoot), and finally F Company of the 2d battalion were brought into the struggle to break the road block. At 1900, the last of the blocks was reduced, and C and A Companies made contact. About fifty five Japs were killed during the fight, at a cost of one officer and six of our men killed, four wounded, and one officer missing in action.
The Japanese had been very aggressive and used many automatic weapons and explosive charges. Approximately 20 rounds of 47 mm artillery fire were then dropped within the 1st Battalion perimeter and on the 64th Field Artillery Battalion. An estimated 55 Japanese were killed during the day's fighting. C Company lost one officer and six enlisted men killed and three enlisted men wounded. There were no casualties in the rescuing units.
One officer, 1st LT Aymeric Bondorff from the Service Company, was missing in action. His jeep was ambushed by Japanese who were positioned on a cliff above the bulldozer road. His driver was wounded in the arm and the jeep went over a cliff on the other side of the road. Bondorff jumped from the jeep and is believed to have landed on the road. The driver survived, but Bondorff was missing. There was concern that he was either captured by the Japanese or lost in the jungle. A thorough search was made, but no trace of him was ever found."
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